Phoenix Suns could face familiar plan, new challenges against San Antonio Spurs

They work in video rooms, offices and practice courts like potters with clay on a wheel, constantly remolding their work.

They will come into Monday's Game 1 of the second round of the playoffs with a firm plan, only to see someone's work break into pieces on the hardwood with what unfolds at US Airways Center.

For Phoenix's offense, the Suns have to figure they will see more of the same from their Spurs history. San Antonio probably will ask Antonio McDyess to annoy Amar'e Stoudemire, his 2004 Suns teammate, just as the 35-year-old did to Dirk Nowitzki in the first round. That allows the other Spurs to focus on limiting Steve Nash and Suns 3-pointers.

With San Antonio's offense, the Suns always want to limit the "Big 3" - Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker - to not let all three click. But now there are George Hill and Richard Jefferson to also worry about. Hill was a first-round star with play that has kept Parker as a reserve. Jefferson struggled to find the Spurs way, but San Antonio is 16-4 when he scores at least 17 points. San Antonio can be just as lethal with the 3-pointers, going 24-4 when it makes 40 percent of its 3s.

"We led the league in scoring so I've got to think our offense will be pretty good," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. "What we have to do is be better defensively. We've got to do a good job defensively with Tim and Manu. He (Ginobili) is playing as well as he's played in a few years. He's pretty much put the team on his shoulders and lifted them up."

It has never been all about Stoudemire for San Antonio. He has averaged 28.8 points in the past three playoff series against the Spurs and 31.7 in series without Shaquille O'Neal in 2008.

San Antonio's attention to 3-point shooters figures to be enhanced by Phoenix's 41.2 percent 3-point shooting season, the second best in NBA history.

Phoenix took an average of 21.6 3s per game this season and 25.5 in the first round against Portland, which collapsed its defense around Stoudemire. By closing out on shooters and running others off the arc, San Antonio allowed a league-low 14.6 3-point tries per game this season.

"In the past, they've taken away our 3-point shooting and kind of let Amar'e go and it's worked pretty good for us," Gentry said.

The Suns won two of three games against the Spurs this season, just as they did in 2008 before losing a series, 4-1, to them for the fourth time in six seasons.

Stoudemire, who scored 28, 41 and 29 vs. San Antonio this season, said the Spurs did not change but his team has with better defense, including him.

"I always take the challenge of playing against greats," Stoudemire said. "It's a challenge of mine because eventually I want to be that. I want to be a champion, a Hall of Famer. So playing against guys like Tim Duncan is a great challenge for me. I love it. It's what the game is about. It's our era. So when my son grows up in his era, I can go back and say, 'I gave Tim Duncan a big-time battle when I was playing.' It's a lot of fun but it's even better when you win."